(ConservativeSense.com) – Religious freedom in Pakistan, a nation that is predominantly Muslim, has been rapidly deteriorating, according to a US federal commission.
In an annual report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for 2024, the commission concludes that Pakistan should be recategorized as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” by the US Department of State due to harsh blasphemy laws that the report found have inspired attacks on religious minorities.
According to the report, conditions in Pakistan for religious freedom “continued to deteriorate” in 2023 and religious minorities faced persecution “for their beliefs,” as well as “accusations of blasphemy.” The report said those religious minorities faced “mob violence, lynchings, and forced conversions” to Islam.
The 2024 report also found that places of worship were attacked and desecrated “frequently” throughout 2023 and that allegations of blasphemy were being used as justification to “settle personal vendettas,” while those using false allegations or perpetuating “vigilante violence” do not face punishment for their actions.
The USCIRF names specific groups like Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and the Muslim denominations of Ahmadiyya and Shi’a, as those at highest risk of “escalating persecution” from Pakistan’s proposed blasphemy law amendments. Around 97% of Pakistani residents are Muslim, and an estimated 85 to 90% of those Muslims are of the Sunni denomination.
Among other recommendations, the commission calls for “targeted sanctions” to be imposed upon government agencies and officials in Pakistan for violating religious freedom. Those US sanctions would include freezing assets and barring entry to the US.
The US State Department has labeled Pakistan as a CPC every year since 2018. The recent categorization comes in response to an amendment to Pakistan’s blasphemy law greenlit by the nation’s National Assembly. The amendment would increase punishable offenses and permit harsher penalties for “blasphemy” against the Islamic religion. The amendment passed in August 2023.
Opponents of the amendment argue it can easily be abused by citizens seeking vengeance. Pakistani officials claim the bill is meant to stop blasphemy online, which they claim results in “terrorism” and disruptions within the nation.
Copyright 2024, ConservativeSense.com
